One Year From Today, Microsoft to Finally Cut All Support For Windows XP

Windows XP is a dead operating system (OS) walking. In exactly one year from today, Microsoft will cease supporting the legacy OS, which translates into no more security updates. Naturally the suits in Redmond would love it if every XP user -- legitimate or otherwise -- would make the switch to Windows 8, and if they did, the migration would effectively make the latest build nearly as popular as Windows 7.

Even after all this time, Windows XP still maintains a 38.73 percent share of the desktop market, versus 3.17 percent for Windows 8, according to data by NetMarketShare. The two combined fall just a few percentage points behind Windows 7, which is found on 44.73 percent of all desktops.

If you prefer StatCounter's data, the numbers are a little different, but it's a similar story with Windows 7 claiming a 52.61 percent share, Windows XP in second place at 23.38 percent, and Windows 8 at 3.9 percent. Either way, it's pretty remarkable that an 11-year-old OS is still relatively popular.

Even though support will end next year, Windows XP could still maintain a significant userbase, especially in the enterprise environment.

"We asked 'What are you deploying now on new PCs?' and enterprises are saying that 76 percent are deploying Windows 7. But 16 percent are still going with XP," David Johnson, an analyst with Forrester, told ZDNet in an interview. "When we ask them what they'll be deploying 12 months from now, their answer is Windows 7, with 60 percent, Windows 8, at 26 percent, and Windows XP, 3 percent. But enterprises are notoriously optimistic about future deployments, so I'd say that by the time it reaches retirement, XP will still be on 15 percent to 20 percent of PCs."